Mansaaf Recipe ๐๐ฅฃ
Overview:
Living abroad often introduces us to new culinary delights. This Mansaaf recipe, shared by my friend Widaad, brings the flavors of Southwest Asia to your table. Traditionally made with hard yogurt balls, this version uses an improvised yogurt sauce for a taste of Jordanian comfort.
- Preparation Time: 20 minutes
- Cooking Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
- Servings: 6
Ingredients:
| Quantity | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| 3 | Lamb shoulder |
| 1/4 | Yellow onion |
| 1/4 | Turmeric |
| 1 | Ground allspice |
| 1 1/2 | Cinnamon |
| 1/2 | Yogurt |
| 1 | Cornflour |
| 2 | Snoober nuts |
| 1 | Egg white |
| 2 | Butter |
| – | Salt |
| – | Pepper |
| – | Water |
Instructions:
-
Prepare Lamb:
- Place lamb shoulder in a large pan and cover with water.
- Slowly bring to a boil, skimming off any froth.
- Once clean and boiling, add salt and pepper to taste.
- Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.
-
-
Prepare Nuts:
- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Add snoober nuts and sautรฉ until golden.
- Remove nuts, keeping butter in the pan, and set aside.
-
Cook Aromatics:
- In the same skillet, add chopped yellow onion.
- Fry gently until the onions are clear.
- Stir in turmeric, allspice, and cinnamon, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
-
Combine Lamb and Aromatics:
- Add the onion mixture to the lamb in the pan.
-
Prepare Laban Mutboukh (Yogurt Sauce):
- In a separate heavy pan, place yogurt.
- Blend beaten egg white with cornflour and salt.
- Stir the egg white mixture into the yogurt until well combined.
- Over medium heat, stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil.
- Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Remember to stir in the same direction!
-
Cook Lamb and Sauce:
- After the lamb has cooked for about 1 hour, remove the lid.
- Continue cooking until the liquid reduces to cover only half of the lamb.
- Add the Laban Mutboukh to the lamb, shaking the pan gently to blend.
- Simmer over low heat until the lamb is tender and the sauce thickens. If stirring is necessary, do so gently in one direction.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste and remove the cinnamon stick.
-
Final Touches:
- Pile the Mansaaf on a serving plate.
- Sprinkle with the sautรฉed snoober nuts.
-
Serving:
- Serve the Mansaaf hot over cooked rice.
- Generously pour the yogurt sauce over the top.
Tips:
- For an authentic touch, try finding hard yogurt balls in specialty stores if available.
- Mansaaf is traditionally eaten with your hands, using torn pieces of flatbread to scoop up the lamb and rice.
- Pair this dish with a fresh salad or pickled vegetables for a balanced meal.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated gently on the stove, adding a splash of water or broth to revive the sauce.
Enjoy your flavorful journey to the Middle East with this savory Mansaaf recipe! ๐
